Driving mechanism for grain-shovels.



PATENTED AUG. 11, 1908.

W. B. NEWLON. Q

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR GRAIN SHOVELS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 14, 1907.

I I I I I II I I William B. Newlon, anuentoi wihwoaeai WILLIAM B. NEWLON, OF FREMONT, NEBRASKA.

DRIVING- MECHANISM FOR GRAIN-SHOVELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 1908.

Application filed November 14, 1907. Serial No. 402,220.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. NEWLON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fremont, in the county of Dodge and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving Mechanism for Grain-Shovels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mechanism for driving grain-shovels such as are used in unloading grain from freight-cars into elevators, or to hoisting mechanism in general where an action is required similar to that necessary in the actuation of grain-shovels.

It is the object of my invention to provide a mechanism of this class which may be at all times under control of the operator, that is, in which the stroke or range of movement of the shovel may be varied at the will of the operator instead of being a fixed distance which must necessarily be that of the maximum movement required.

A construction embodying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings inwhich Figure 1 is a front elevation of the mechanism, partly in section on the axis of the driving-shaft, and Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation thereof, the section being taken on the plane of the line acac of Fig. 1. v

In the construction shown I provide a driving-shaft 1 which is j ournaled in bearing boxes 2, shown as supported by posts 3. A pulley 4 is secured at a suitable position on the driving-shaft and from said pulley a belt may be extended to any suitable source of power.

A spool-like drum 5 is revolubly mounted on the shaft at the position shown, said drum being held against longitudinal displacement by means of a collar 6 secured to the shaft, and the hub of a spider 7 which is secured to the shaft adjacent the end-of the drum, as shown. On the outer part of said spider are fulcrumed the clutch-levers 8 which carry at their ends V-shaped friction-blocks 9 adapted to fit into and frictionally engage the sides of a V-groove formed in the adjacent end-flange of the drum. The opposite ends of said clutch levers are connected by the adjustable links 10 with a grooved sleeve 11, slidably mounted on the shaft 1.

Adjacent the opposite end of the drum a frictionplate 12 is mounted on the shaft 1, so as to be both revoluble and slidable longitudinally thereon, the hub ofsaid plate having therein an annular groove, as shown. On one side of said plate, adjacent the periphery thereof, is formed an internal gear 13. A bar' 14 is secured to the posts 3 at the position shown and to said bar is secured one end of a bearing-bracket 15, the opposite end of said bracket being formed into a box or journal around the shaft 1. At an intermediate po sition in said bracket is journaled a small shaft 16 which at one end carries a pinion 17 meshing with. the internal gear 13. On the opposite end of the shaft 16 is a gear 18 which in turn meshes with a gear 19 securedon the shaft 1. By means of said train of gearing, when the shaft 1 is driven in one direction the friction-plate 12 will be driven in the direction opposite thereto.

At a position below the shaft 1 is a bar 20, the ends of which are secured to the posts 3, as shown. To said bar 20, at a position below the hub of the friction-plate 12, is pivotally connected the end of the shifting-lever 21 which extends upwardly therefrom. The said lever is made up of two bars which pass around the hub of the friction-plate, as shown in Fig. 2, and fit loosely in the annular groove therein. The main shifting-lever 22 is, similarly, made up of two bars which pass around and fit loosely within the groove of the sleeve 11. Said lever 22 is fulcrumed on the bar 20 at a position below the sleeve, and, at a point above the sleeve, is connected with the upper end of the lever 21 by means of a bar 23. The upper end of the lever 22 is bent to extend in a direction approximately horizontal and parallel with the shaft 1, and on said horizontal portion of the lever is adjustably secured a counterweight 24. In the drawing the greater part of the horizontal portion of the lever is broken away. Below the fulcrum the lever is bent so as to bring the lower end thereof approximately under the center of the drum 5, and at this position a small sheave 25 is revolubly mounted between the bars forming the lever. The rope or cable 26 has one end thereof connected with the drum and thence passes downwardly to the sheave 25. From the sheave the cable passes through an opening at the end of the twisted bar 27, which is secured to and made a part of the main shifting-lever, and thence extends to the grain-shovel or other device which is to be actuated thereby.

Referring now to the operation of the mechanism, it will be seen that when there is a tension on the cable 26 the main shiftinglever 22 will be held in the position shown in Fig. 1, the sleeve 11 being pushed toward the drum, the clutch-levers 8 being moved to engage the friction-blocks 9 with the endflange of the drum which is thereby, through the clutch mechanism, connected with and driven by the shaft 1. Also, when the main shifting-lever is held in the position shown, the connecting bar 23 causes the shiftinglever 21 to hold the friction-plate 12 out of engagement with the drum. As the drum is driven, the cable is wound thereon until, at a predetermined point in the operation, a ball or knot 28 011 the cable engages the twisted bar 27 and moves the shifting-levers to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. Such movement of the shifting-levers releases the clutch-levers 8, which thus cease to actuate the drum, and the plate 12 is moved into engagement with the end of the drum. As the plate 12 is constantly driven by the gear-train 19, 18, 17 and 13, in a direction opposite to that of the driving-shaft 1, it will, when engaging the drum, drive the same in a like direction, thereby unwinding the cable therefrom. After the cable has begun to unwind from the drum and the ball 28 is thereby permitted to disengage from the main shifting-lever, the friction-plate is still held in engagement with the drum by the action of the counterweight 24 which at all 'times tends to move the shifting-levers to the positions indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

As the cable is unwound from the drum, as

described, the operator at the shovel draws the same back preparatory to making another stroke therewith, and, when ready to begin the forward or working movement, gives a quick pull on the cable. The tension thus placed on the cable causes the shifting-levers to move to their original position, throwing the main-clutch into operation, and the drum is thereby actuated as before, to wind the cable thereon. The counterweight 24 is adjusted to such a position on the horizontal portion of the main shifting-lever that at any time during the reverse movement of the drum, when actuated by the friction-plate 12, a sudden pull or tension placed on the cable will be able to move the shifting-levers as described, throwing the main-clutch into operation, and thereby start at once the forward or working movement of the shovel.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. In a mechanism of the class described, a driving-shaft, a cable-drum, a cable connected therewith, a main-clutch for connecting the driving-shaft and drum to actuate the drum and wind the cable thereon, frictional connecting means for actuating the drum to unwind the cable therefrom, shiftinglevers connected with each other and controlling the main-clutch and frictional connecting means, and means carried by one of, the shifting-levers and engaged by the cable whereby a tension on the cable may actuate the shifting-levers to throw the main-clutch into operation.

2, In a mechanism of the class described, a driving-shaft, a cable-drum, a cable connected therewith, a main-clutch for connecting the driving-shaft and drum to actuate the drum and wind the cable thereon, means for connecting the driving-shaft and drum to unwind the cable therefrom, a shifting-lever controlling the main-clutch, means carried by the said shifting-lever and engaged by the cable whereby a tension on the cable may actuate the lever to throw the main-clutch into operation, and means for automatically releasing the main-clutch after a predetermined portion of the cable has been wound on the drum.

3. In a mechanism of the class described, a driving-shaft, a cable-drum revolubly mounted on said shaft, a cable connected with said drum, a friction-clutch mechanism for connecting the shaft-and drum to actuate the latter and wind the cable thereon, a shiftinglever controlling said clutch mechanism, and a sheave carried by said shifting-lever, the arrangement being such that when the cable is placed in tension the pull thereof on the sheave will move the shifting-lever to throw in the clutch mechanism.

4. In a mechanism of the class described, a driving-shaft, a cable-drum revolubly mounted thereon, a cable connected with said drum, a friction-clutch mechanism mounted on the shaft adjacent one end of the drum, said clutch mechanism being adapted to releasably connect the shaft and drum, a friction-plate revolubly and slidably mounted on the shaft adjacent the opposite end of the drum and adapted to engage the same, gearing connecting the driving-shaft and frictionplate to drive the latter in a direction opposite that of the movement of the shaft, a

shifting-lever controlling the slidable movement of the friction-plate, a shifting-lever controlling the clutch mechanism, means connecting the said shifting-levers whereby when the clutch mechanism is out of engagement with the drum the friction-plate will engage the same and when the clutch mechanism is in engagement with the drum the frictionplate will not en age the same, means normally tending to iOld the clutchmechanism out of engagement with the drum, and means connecting the cable and shifting-levers whereby a tension upon the cable will actuate the said levers to engage theclutch mechanism With the drum.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM B. NEWLON. Witnesses ROY G. KRATZ, D. O. BARNELL. 

